Foldable bed construction



Jan. 3, 1956 E. FElNSTElN FOLDABLE BED CONSTRUCTION Original Filed Feb. 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet l GNWOJ U I VENTOR.

Jan. 3, 1956 E. FEINSTEIN 2,728,922

FOLDABLE BED CONSTRUCTION Original Filed Feb, 19, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

V of the bed unit in disengaged position.

United States Patent 2,728,922 FOLDABLE BED CONSTRUCTION Edward Feinstein, New York, N. Y.

Refiled for abandoned application Serial No. 9,481, February 19, 1948. This application August 10, 1953, Serial No. 373,256

3 Claims. (Cl. -13

My invention relates to a new and improved foldable bed unit of the type which may be retracted within a couch, chair or similar article. This application includes subject matter contained in my prior U. S. patent application Serial No. 9,481, filed February 19, 1948, and now abandoned, and therefore constitutes a partial refiling of said application.

One of the principal objects of my invention is to provide a bed structure which can easily be folded into a compact unit of a predetermined size with a minimum of elfort, and which can, with equal facility, be unfolded or extended to form a conventional bed.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a bed unit comprising a movable carriage carrying a foldable bed frame adapted to be retracted therein, the carriage being adapted to be used as a separate entity for storage in a closet or the like, or to be incorporated as part of a piece of furniture such as a sofa.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a bed unit of the character described having legs or floor supporting members adapted to fold automatically within the unit during the folding operation and also adapted to support the unit in its folded condition.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a bed unit of the character described in which latch means .are provided to lock the bed unit automatically in its come apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which disclose by way of example an embodiment of the invention.

In the drawing: .Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the foldable bed unit assembly in its unfolded or extended position of use.

Fig. 2 is aside elevation similar to Fig. 1 with portions of the bed unit broken away, and showing the bed unit ina partially folded position. i

Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal section showing the bed unit in a later stage of folding and partially retracted within its carriage.

Fig. 4 is a section, similar to Fig. 3 showing the 'bed assembly in its fully folded and retracted position and also I showing in'broken line the manner in which it may be contained within a couch or sofa, the latter being also shown in section.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged section showing the means for mounting the bed assembly in a couch or the like.'

Fig. 6 is an enlarged elevation showing the latch means Fig. 7 is an enlargedelevation similar to Fig. 6 but showing the latch means in engaged position.

Referring in detail to the drawings, and in particular to Figs. 1-3, the bed unit shown has a frame comprising a pair of base members or runners 10 which may be in l the form of channel irons having guideways 11 for a adjacent the center thereof. 65

purpose which will be explained hereinafter. The base members 10 are provided with rollers or casters 12 by which the bed unit may be moved to a suitable location for storage or use.

An upstanding post 13 is secured adjacent the rear end of each respective base member 10, each post being rigidly supported by a brace 14. The base members 10 and the posts 13 together form a support carriage for the bed unit, being respectively joined by cross bars 44 and 45.

The bed unit comprises pairs of inner section members 17, middle section members 19, intermediate section members 21, and outer section member 23, pivotally connected to each other. Since these members and their associated parts are identical on each side of the bed unit, only one side thereof will be described, it being understood that the description will apply equally to both members of each section.

To the upper end of each post 13 is pivoted an inner section member 17 at pivot point 15 by means of a suspension bracket 18. The inner section member 17 is mounted to swing in a are as shown successively in Figs. 1, 3 and 4.

To the end of inner section 17 is pivoted the middle section member 19 at pivot point 20, the other end of said middle section member being pivoted to the intermediate section member 21 at pivot point 22. The latter section member is in turn pivoted at its front end to the outer folding section member 23 at pivot point 24. Thus, the entire bed unit comprises an articulate or hinged structure, one end of which is pivoted to the posts 13, from which and toward which it may be folded or unfolded.

The various section members may be made of angle iron or similar material for rigidity. To the outer folding section'23 is pivoted a bell crank 25 at pivot point 26, one arm 27 of said bell crank 25 serving as a floor supporting leg when the bed unit is in extended position as shown in Fig. 1. In this extended position, the other bell crank arm 28, which is perpendicular to the arm 27, extends along the outer surface of the middle section members 21 in parallel relationship thereto. In order to limit the rotation of the bell crank 25 and maintain the arm 27 in its floor supporting position, the free end of arm-28 may be bent outwardly, as shown at 29, to abut against a support bar 30 which has just enough of a bend to permit the arm 28 to lie parallel with the section members 21. The bar 30 is pivoted at one end to the arm'28 bers 21.

A second bell crank 31 is pivoted to the intermediate 'section'members 21 at a pivot point 32, one bell crank arm 33 serving as a floor supporting leg when the bed unit is in its extended position of Fig. l. The other bell crank arm 34- has a fixed pin 35 which fits within a slot 36 in the upper surface of support arm 37 whereby the bell crank arm 33 is locked in its vertical position. The support arm 37 is pivoted at one end tothe bell crank 31 by a pivot pin or rivet 3i; and at the other end'to the middle section member 19 by a pivot pin or rivet 39.

The pivot pin or rivet 39 also pivotally secures one end of a lever 4% to the middle section member 19, Lever 40 is 'pivotally mounted adjacent its other end to the base member 10 at pivot point 41. A coil tension spring 42 is connected at one end to a terminal lateral extension piece 43 of lever 40, and at the otherend to an angle iron 44 secured laterally between the pair ofbase members 10, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. This angle iron 44 together with anend lateral channel bar 45 connects the base members 10 and rigidly supports the carriage. The bed the tilting breaking of the joint between the latter and the inner "-sections 17.

unit-is supported by a lateral angle iron 76 which connects the ends of the inner section members 17, an angle iron 77 connecting the ends of the outer section members 23, :anda of 'Ushaped reenforcing'bars 78 whichconnect thev middle sect-ionmembers 19. The bed unit-section members may also be joined by a continuous bed spring 59 extending the'length of the bed unit upon which may be placed-a mattress :61, shown in broken lines, the latter being folded' together Withthe bed unit. Other bed clothes mayof course be also :stored within the folded unit.

FigJ-l shows the bed unit in its fully extended-position for use, the section members being supported from the carriage by the bracket'ls, and lever 40, land being also supported upon the ground surface by the arms '27 -and 33 -of'='be"ll cranks wand :31.

When it is desired to fold the bed unit for storage, the outer :folding section members 23 are raised land pushed rearwardly in the manner shown in Fig. 2, cansingsaid outer section members 23 to move :to a.;position above and parallel to the middle section members 19, with the intermediate section members 21 extending'perpendicularly thereb'etween. in this folded position, the :bellcrank 25, under action of support bar 30, rotates .in' a clockwise direction :until it assumes the-position shown in Figs. 3 and 4 with its arm 28 extendingp'en.

pendicularly between the section members '23 in ithis "folded condition, as will be later described ingreater detail. in this connection it may be noted that the arms '28 are of substantially the same length as the intermediate section members 21 so that the section member .23 will be :level.

It will be seen from Figs. 2, 3 and 4 that as the bed unit is be'ing folded, the bell crank 31 will pivot under action -of-'the-'support arm 37 so that its long arm 33 assumes a position of rest along the outside of the middle --section members 19, as shown in Fig. 4, and its short arm 34 similarly assumes a position of rest along the outsid'e of the intermediate section members 21.

In this folded position of the bed unit, the section members 17 and 19 remain horizontal and co-extensive "being supported spaced above the base members by the suspension bracket 18 and the forwardly-inclined levers 40. The levers "40 are enabled to perform this supporting function since their upper pivot points 39 are forward of their lower pivot point 41.

After'the-bed unit has been folded in the manner heretofore described, "it may be further retracted into the frame or carriage. For this purpose, the outer end of 'the folded bed unit is lifted-manually as shown-in Fig. 3, causing the joint between the inner section members 17 and middle section members-19 to be broken downwardly automatically at the pivot point 20, and said sections to fold toward one another. This movement is caused by the tilting action produced by the levers 40 which'rotate in a counterclockwise direction about "the pivots 41 and assuming a vertical position and raising the center of middle section members 19.

39'aided by tension of spring 42,

'-As was previously indicated, the springs 42 aid in of the middle sections 19 and the consequent It will be seen that spring 42 exerts a force on the lever arm 43 in the direction of the folding 1 operation "until the lever 40 reaches its vertical position -of Fig. 3 'in which the arm 43 is horizontal and the spring 42 is in its shortest condition. The folding operation of the bed then continues as the bracket 18 turns until the bed unit reaches itsfully re- "on its pivot 4, the spring 42.again being This final folding n'til "thex innersection .irn'embers 17 1 abutv the .channel In this fully retracted position, the folded bed unit is supported on the carriage by the pivots 15 and also by the lateral angle iron 44 upon which rest the middle section members 19. In this position, the lever 40 lies parallel along the base members iii as do the middle section members 19. When the bed unit is used as a separate entity without additional support, the channel iron 44 may be heavily weighted in order to prevent the carriage frorn to'pplin'g over due to the shifting of the center of gravity while the unit is being folded and retracted.

The spring 42 will alsoaid in the unfolding operation. It will be seen that when the bed unit is completely folded, as shown in Fig. 4, the arm 430i lever 40 extends downwardly from. the base member 10 so that the spring 42 through arm 43 will exert a force on the lever 40 in the direction of the unfolding operation. it Will be understood that the force of spring 42 should be less thanthe force of gravity on the folding and unfolding section members.

The bedassembly also includes latch meanswhich lock the 'bed'unit..-in.folded position, the latch means being also adapted to close-automatically during the folding operationtof'fthebed unit and to'open automatically during the unfolding operation of the bed unit. The latch means comprises a latch member/46pivoted at its center to, the middle section member 19 by a pivot 47 and a detent 48 pivoted toi=the end of lever 40 by a pivot -49 adjacent the pivot-1.39. The :member 46 has a top lateral latch plate 50 positioned'to be engaged and held bya slot 51 in the outwardly-bent end 29 of arm 28. The arm 28 also' has an inclined terminal cam surface 52 leading from the slot '51.

The latch member 46 has a'forwardly projecting finger 53 having an inclined upper edge and a bottom :lateral extension 54. -A spring 55 biases the extension 54 into abutment witht-he bottom-edge of middle section member 19 so that the mernber -46 is normally urged :tothe position shownin-Fig. -6- in-which its finger '53 is directed along the member 19 and parallel thereto.

The detent- 48 has 'a 'finger-56 which faces the latch -'finger"53,'and a lateral pl ate 57 to which is attached the 'end of a spring 58. 'Theouter end of spring 58 is secured tothe-lever 40, 'so'that tension of said spring 58 "normally urges the detent 48 to the position of Fig. 6

in which its 'lateral'plate 57 rests upon the edge of lever 40 and the finger 56 is located above the finger 53.

'"Wh'ten "the bed unit *is being folded, the arm 28 carried bythe'outer section-member 23 moves vertically downward, its inclined-cam surface 52 engaging the latch plate S0 andpivoting the latch-member 46 in a counter-clockwise direction, enabling the latch 50 to then snap into groove 51 under biasing force of spring 55, as shown in "Fig; 7. "Whentthe'folded bed unitis then retracted into condition 'otfarm' '28.

The folded bed unit remains in its locked'position'until itiis lifted from the carriage, by raising the outer portion thereof," and again assumes the. position of Fig. 3. At

this time, the lever 40 pivots in .a clockwise direction, carrying with it its finger '56. The top surface of finger 56 engages'the'bottom surface of finger 53, and since the edge of lever 40 abuts the plate 57 and thus restrains the 'fin'ger"56 from pivoting, the rigidly-held finger 56 pivots .thetfinger 53 away from it, moving the latch plate '50 out of the slot 51 and unlocking thearm'28.

. By utilizingthetmovementof.1ever'40,1therefore, the bed unit is automatically lockedtand unlockedduring the respective. foldingand unfolding operations.

ibed nnitandits carriage is able to. operate as an. independent. assembly, it may be used separately without additional mounting. .The unit may, on the other hand, be used'in combination with an article of furniture or the like, such as the couch 60 shown in Fig. 4. In such an instance, the base members are pro vided with the channelled guideways 11 to engage rollers 62 which are mounted on bars 63 carried by the inner faces of the couch side walls 64. The couch 60 has a hollow back, the front wall 65 of which has an opening 66 of sulficient size to allow the upstanding posts 13 to pass therethrough.

In order to enhance the appearance of the bed unit when the same is used as part of a chair, couch or similar article, a panel member 67 of wood or the like may be provided to cooperate with the article of furniture to hide the folded bed unit. This panel 67 is shown in Fig. 4 and in broken line in Figs. 1 and 2 as having end brackets 68 to each of which are pivoted levers 69 and 70. The other ends of levers 69 are pivoted to the intermediate section members 21 at pivot points 32, while the other end of levers 70 are pivoted to the outer section members 23. It will be noted that the relative lengths of the levers 69 and 70 are so chosen that the panel 67 will extend in front of the intermediate section 21 when the bed unit is in folded position, as shown in Fig. 4. When the bed unit is unfolded, the panel 67 depends below said bed unit, as shown in Fig. 1.

It will be understood that both sides of the bed unit are identical, and wherever one part is found on one side, it has a corresponding part on the other side.

When the bed unit is folded within the frame of a couch, chair, or the like, the outer section 23 may be covered with a conventional cushion 72 (shown in broken line in Fig. 4) matching the back cushion 73 of the couch.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described herein, it is obvious that numerous additions, changes, and omissions may be made therein without departing from its scope.

I claim:

1. A foldable bed unit comprising a base, a pair of spaced posts extending from said base, an inner section pivoted at one end to said posts adjacent the upper end thereof, a middle section pivoted to the other end of said inner section, an outer foldable section and an intermediate section pivoted to said outer section and to said middle section, said outer section and said middle section forming the top and bottom respectively and said inner section and said intermediate section forming the rear and front ends respectively when said bed unit is in folded condition, a bell crank pivoted to said outer section, one leg of said bell crank serving as a supporting member for said outer section when in unfolded condition, the other leg of said bell crank engaging said middle section to support said outer section thereon in folded condition, a lever pivoted at one end to said base and at the other end to said middle section at a point forward of the base pivot point when the bed unit is in extended position, the leg of said bell crank which engages said middle section having a slot therein, said middle section having a pivotal latch member including a latch plate and spring means urging said latch member to a position in which the latch plate is receivable within said slot, said lever carrying pivoted detent means positioned to engage said latch means and move it out of engagement with said slot as the bed unit is unfolded.

2. A foldable bed unit comprising a base, a pair of spaced posts extending from said base, an inner section pivoted at one end to said posts adjacent the upper end thereof, a middle section pivoted to the other end of said inner section, an outer foldable section and an intermediate section pivoted to said outer section and to said middle section, said outer section and said middle section forming the top and bottom respectively and said inner section and said intermediate section forming the rear and front ends respectively when said bed unit is in folded condition, a bell crank pivoted to said outer section, one leg of said bell crank serving as a supporting member for said outer section when in unfolded condition, the other leg of said bell crank engaging said middle section to support said outer section thereon in folded condition, a lever pivoted at one end to said base and at the other end to said middle section at a point forward of the base pivot point when the bed unit is in extended position, the leg of said bell crank which engages the middle section having a slot therein, said middle section having a pivotal latch member including a latch plate, spring means urging said latch member to a locking position in which the latch plate is located to be received Within said slot, and a projecting finger, said lever carrying a pivotal detent member having a projecting finger positioned to engage said latch member finger when said bed unit is folded and unfolded, said detent member having a stop member for limiting pivotal movement of said detent member upon engagement of the fingers only when said bed unit is unfolded, whereby said detent member finger moves said latch plate out of said slot when the bed unit is unfolded.

3. A foldable bed unit comprising a base adapted for insertion into a frame for a couch, chair or the like, a pair of posts extending from said base and spaced from one another to define the width of the bed unit, an inner section pivoted at one end to said posts adjacent the upper end thereof, a middle section pivoted to the other end of said inner section, an outer foldable section and an intermediate section pivoted to said outer section and to said middle section, said outer section and said middle section forming the top and bottom respectively and said inner section and said intermediate section forming the rear and front ends respectively when the bed unit is in folded condition, a bell crank pivoted to said outer section, one leg of said bell crank serving as a supporting member for said outer section when in unfolded condition, the other leg of said bell crank engaging said middle section to support said outer section thereon in folded condition and having a slot therein, means for limiting the rotation of said bell crank so as to maintain said legs in their respective supporting positions, a lever pivoted to said intermediate section, one arm of said lever serving as a support when the bed unit is in unfolded condition, means for causing the last mentioned lever to become folded within the bed unit during the folding operation, and means for automatically causing a folding action between said inner section and said middle section during the general folding operation, said means comprising a third lever pivoted at one end of said base and the other end to said middle section at a point forward of the base pivot point when the bed unit is in extended condition, said middle section carrying latch means and spring means urging said latch means to a position in which it engages the slot of said bell crank leg when the bed unit is in folded position, said third lever carrying pivoted detent means positioned to engage said latch means and move it out of engagement with said slot as the bed unit is unfolded.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,105,928 Rusnak Aug. 4, 1914 1,265,073 Freedman et a1. May 7, 1918 1,394,584 Sherman Oct. 25, 1921 2,445,241 Pokorny et a1. July 13, 1948 2,576,062 Bebry Nov. 20, 1951 2,595,038 Woller Apr. 29, 1952 2,653,329 Coopersmith Sept. 29, 1953 2,656,547 Winikotf Oct. 27, 1953 

